1. Why are some African countries criticized?
| A．They ban killing animals. |
| B．Lions are allowed to be killed. |
| C．Animals there are endangered. |
| A．They are underpopulated. | B．They are protected well. | C．They are out of control. |
| A．Hunters. | B．Drivers. | C．Road workers. |
| A．Humans should live in harmony with animals. |
| B．Hunting will continue in the short run. |
| C．Animals should not be killed for dinner. |
My parents were always against me owning my own pet, afraid of the mess it would make or that I would quickly lose interest in taking care of it, but we made a compromise: I could volunteer at a local pet shelter on the weekends to test my sense of responsibility and dedication. That was how I first came to volunteer at the Avondale pet shelter and—more importantly—where I met my future best friend, Chocolate.
One hot August afternoon, my boss Charlie told me that they were bringing in a young black Labrador Retriever and that I’d be its primary caretaker. An hour after our conversation and in came Chocolate—a beautiful dog with shining brown fur and amazing blue eyes. At about 3 months old, I expected him to be a lot more energetic and playful, but he immediately backed and lay down at the back of his pen (围栏).
I asked Charlie what was the matter with him. He replied that Chocolate had a genetic problem which caused him to be born with a short tail, leading potential owners to think there was something wrong with him; so the breeder felt that they had no choice but to give up the puppy to the shelter.
He was overlooked and underappreciated. I felt very angry at the thought that an otherwise healthy dog could be thrown away so easily. At the same time, I felt a deep sympathy for this dog who had been cheated out of the love and attention he deserved. It was at this moment that I resolved to give Chocolate as much love and attention as I could while working as a volunteer.
Although Chocolate was reluctant and shy at first. eventually through enough treats and play he slowly came around and warmed up to me. Soon enough, whenever I came around his pen to let him out for his turn of walks and play, Chocolate was always excited and jumping with joy.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1:
As time passed by, the connection between Chocolate and I grew stronger and stronger.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
One day, Charlie said Chocolate must find a home soon or he would be removed.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3 . Daniel Hove spent years serving his community in Wisconsin as the Assistant Fire Chief for the Burnsville Fire Department. In 2012, he
Daniel spent years fighting the
As Daniel’s
“When my dad would get restless, the dog would be
As Gunner’s suffering hit its peak, Heather
Special friends are placed in our lives. And the story of this dog and his owner is a beautiful
| A．came | B．retired | C．returned | D．suffered |
| A．common | B．impressive | C．terrible | D．addictive |
| A．support | B．praise | C．criticism | D．popularity |
| A．moved | B．swung | C．stopped | D．remained |
| A．devotion | B．decision | C．battle | D．work |
| A．experienced | B．enhanced | C．conveyed | D．explored |
| A．unsatisfied | B．uneasy | C．selfless | D．careless |
| A．proved | B．inferred | C．guessed | D．saw |
| A．exactly | B．frequently | C．instantly | D．originally |
| A．rushed to | B．sent for | C．thrown into | D．dropped by |
| A．play | B．sleep | C．live | D．wake |
| A．place | B．healing | C．time | D．liking |
| A．Inseparable | B．Suitable | C．Countable | D．Unbelievable |
| A．fashion | B．reminder | C．form | D．encounter |
| A．process | B．education | C．learning | D．company |
One night, sitting on the cold steps at the back of my apartment in Kansas, I’d been staring out into the darkness. The only light came from my cigarette. Rain soaked (浸湿) through my pants, but I didn’t care. Back in my room, there was a knife on the bedside table and a note on my computer screen. I hoped that whoever read it first would understand why I had the plan to end it all.
Six months before that night, a car accident caused a brain injury in me. I lost my job and had to live on my savings in my lonely apartment. Since then, I had been suffering from depression and struggling to get through each day.
I sat there on those cold steps just wanting to end it all. “Tonight. I will,” I thought as I took another drag of my cigarette.
“Meow?”
I looked up. A black and white cat with round green eyes looked back at me. He meowed again. Then, walking out from his hiding spot, he jumped at me. He was tiny and damp, but he rubbed up against my legs. When I reached down to pet him, he leaned into my touch, purring (发出呼噜声).
That was all it took. I cried. The cat just watched me. I didn’t scare him away. In fact, he stood there as if he knew how desperately I needed a companion right at that very moment.
I looked into his big green eyes and he looked back. Clearly a stray (流浪的) cat. “When was the last time you ate?” I said. My plan to end it all was put on hold, at least until I found this cat some food.
It became a routine: Every day, I’d go to the back steps with some cat food. Usually, the cat, whom I named Scout, was already waiting for me. He became more than something to live for. Over time he inspired me to get help for my depression and even gave me the confidence to get into a serious relationship with Becky in Pittsburgh, whom I had known for years.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Scout became my constant companion.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I was far from the lonely and depressed man that Scout had first approached in the rain, but I still needed to make a few more changes.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1. What does the speaker usually do?
| A．She cares for wildlife. |
| B．She trains animals for fun. |
| C．She does research on wildlife. |
| A．A lion. | B．A giraffe. | C．An elephant. |
| A．They are friendly to visitors. |
| B．They can’t adapt to the environment. |
| C．None of them are open to the public. |
6 . Tracee Herbaugh lives in the Boston area of Massachusetts. She thought she was alone in her backyard recently when she used the Merlin Bird ID app. She learned by listening that she was surrounded by more than 12 kinds of birds.
“Two birds identified by the app, veery (画眉鸟) and great homed owl, even had a red dot next to their names. The red dot means it is an unusual sighting.” Herbaugh wrote, “Who knew these birds could be in one yard?”
Cornell Lab of Ornithology is the maker of Merlin Bird ID. The app was released in 2014. At first, the app only identified birds by their photos through Photo ID. The user answered a series of questions about the photo to help identify the bird, such as date, area, color, and size. The app became popular during the pandemic, when people increasingly wanted to be outdoors.
In 2021, Cornell Lab added Sound ID to identify birds by their sound. In the United States alone, Merlin’s Sound ID can identify over 700 kinds of birds. More than 7 million people now use the Merlin Bird ID worldwide.
Alli Smith works on the Merlin project at Cornell Lab. Smith said bird watching by sound “opens up a whole new world” “Even if you cannot see the birds,” he added, “you can hear their beautiful songs and know they’re sharing your neighborhood.”
More than birds, Herbaugh said the app also helped her reconnect with people across the country. When Herbaugh shared her bird list on social media, two childhood friends who also used the app messaged her about it. Her relative in Montana shared a list of birds. And even her young children now quickly go for the app when they hear an unfamiliar bird call.
Herbaugh has identified 45 birds on her list so far. She said now her children are the ones driving her to get more on the bird list.
1. What does a red dot next to a bird’s name mean?| A．The bird is rarely seen. | B．The bird is endangered. |
| C．This bird is a new species. | D．The bird is beneficial to crops. |
| A．By recording bird sounds. | B．By recognizing images of birds. |
| C．By asking experts online. | D．By tracking movements of birds. |
| A．Another way of protecting birds. | B．The popularity of recording bird calls. |
| C．The enjoyment of listening to birds. | D．Another benefit of the Merlin Bird ID app. |
| A．App Identifies Birds by Sound | B．App Gets Kids Interested in Birds |
| C．Old App Gains New Reputation | D．Birds May Hide in Your Yard |
Lizard (蜥蜴) Problems
My problems started when I learned that Mrs. Smith would be my fourth-grade teacher. She had a lizard in her classroom, and lizards were on my list of terrifying things.
Worse, Richard was in my class again. He knows I’m afraid of spiders (蜘蛛), and all year he pretended to put them in my hair. If he found out lizards were on my list, I’d be finished.
On the first day of school I tried not to look at the glass container in the corner, but Mrs. Smith pulled out the lizard and set him against her shoulder like a baby. “This is Ripley”, she said.
Richard whispered, “Bet you’re scared of him.” “I am not!” I said. Mrs. Smith looked toward Richard and me. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Amy’s scared of Ripley” Richard announced. “No, I’m not.” My chest tightened. “I love lizards. They’re my favorite animals.”
Mrs. Smith smiled. “I was going to ask for a volunteer to feed Ripley at recess (课间休息), but since you’re a lizard lover, how would you like the job?”
She probably thought I was speechless with joy.
Before recess, Mrs. Smith showed me Ripley’s bag of greens. I can handle that, I told myself. I’ll just lift the container lid (盖子), drop in the greens, and run.
As Mrs. Smith led the class out the door, I was frozen in a block of ice. I wanted to cry, but my tears were frozen, too. Ripley sat still watching. I knew he was waiting to jump at me the second I lifted the lid. I just stood there for a long time, staring back at Ripley.
Voices in the hall told me recess was over. I closed my eyes, lifted the lid, threw in the greens, and shut the lid. Mrs. Smith said, “You must be enjoying your job, Amy You didn’t come out for recess at all.”
Richard’s eyes got wide. I’d fooled him. But now I’d have to spend every recess with a lizard.
注意:1.续写词数应为150左右； 2.请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
After a few weeks, Richard said “Why does Amy always get to feed Ripley? I want a turn.”
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I meant for Richard to put Ripley down inside the container, but Richard set him on the floor and ran outside.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________| A．They are cruel by nature. |
| B．They want to protect themselves. |
| C．They want to check if humans are food. |
9 . Linda Ellerton never thought she’d see her cat Whiskas again. However, the pair have been reunited recently, more than 10 years after the beloved cat went
Whiskas, who is 16 years old, was
Whiskas was adopted by Linda in 2007. After living with Linda for 6 years, she
“When I saw the post online, I thought it can’t
David Dawon, one member of the organization who helped the cat said: “It was
It’s thought that Whiskas spent her time as a stray (流浪猫) for the past ten years, and has since developed a
| A．crazy | B．bad | C．wrong | D．missing |
| A．driven | B．found | C．hidden | D．stolen |
| A．Realizing | B．Remembering | C．Deciding | D．Hoping |
| A．videos | B．pictures | C．stories | D．signs |
| A．sickened | B．moved | C．stopped | D．disappeared |
| A．taking care of | B．looking for | C．thinking about | D．playing with |
| A．pet | B．neighbour | C．kid | D．doctor |
| A．surprised | B．scared | C．stressed | D．annoyed |
| A．hopefully | B．possibly | C．definitely | D．obviously |
| A．long | B．old | C．hard | D．little |
| A．mostly | B．just | C．never | D．nearly |
| A．strange | B．funny | C．embarrassing | D．pleasing |
| A．heartbroken | B．touching | C．exciting | D．shocking |
| A．habit | B．shape | C．skill | D．disease |
| A．doubt | B．change | C．struggling | D．failure |
Citizens Forest is a young organization from northern Germany. Its small team helps people in
The model is a sure-fire success. There are motivated people and companies everywhere
Tiny Forests are more than just woodlands
